Shelby Smith, right, working at his business SorD Boardshop in Woodland, while his coworker helps a customer with his scooter. The shop is getting ready to move to a new location. - Sarah Dowling — Daily Democrat

As Woodland students celebrate their graduations, planning their futures, one person they may want to keep in mind is Shelby Smith, who managed to make his passion his profession.

After selling skateboards out of his Woodland garage, Smith at age 17 decided it was time to take this business venture to the next level, by opening a storefront.

With help from his parents toward the end of Smith’s senior year at Pioneer High School he opened Skate or Die Boardshop, or “SorD,” as it’s commonly called, on East and Gum streets.

However, when Smith turned 19, he set his sights on the shop’s current downtown location — 526 Main St.

Now, nearly nine years later, SorD is closing its doors only to open at a larger space less than a block away.

“Main Street has been really good to us, so we wanted to stay on Main Street,” said Smith, now 26, during a recent visit. “We are really excited about the move.”

Specifically, Smith acquired the space at 607 Main St., which until recently housed a thrift store operated by Fourth & Hope — a Woodland faith-based organization.

Fourth & Hope officials reported that they wanted to return to their primary mission of helping those in need, including Woodland’s homeless population.

After being in operation for around 10 years, the thrift shop closed in February.

It was vacant for months until about two weeks ago when Smith finalized everything to take over. Now renovations are under way to make it perfect for their purposes.

“We tore up some carpets, we knocked some walls down and built some other walls,” Smith said. “It will look similar but be even better.”

The space upgrade is much needed, according to Smith, who indicated his other location was running out of places to display merchandise ranging from skateboard decks and parts to hats and other clothing items.

In fact, SorD has ventured into silk screen printing and sticker making — services that are not apparent when a customer walks into their store — services Smith plans to accentuate at the new location.

The new space also has two large display windows, much bigger than the current location, which he plans to take full advantage of.

When reflecting on his years at SorD, Smith said that business is doing very well — he found a niche, being the only boardshop in Woodland.

Being a skater himself, Smith hopes to one day see a skateboard park in Woodland. Most people travel out of town to skate, or use the skate facilities, although minimal, available at Crawford Park.

For now, Smith will continue to provide for Woodland skaters. The plan is to open at the new location in early August.

Sarah Dowling is the associate editor of The Daily Democrat and has been with the newspaper since 2013. She graduated from Sonoma State University that same year, with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She enjoys theater, film, comic books and spending time with her miniature schnauzer named Mikey.